Arms and Armour

Crime and law in medieval Lviv

Crime and justice in medieval Lviv played an important role in the townspeople's public life and served as a topic of constant interest for the inhabitants. The wealthy trading city of Lviv attracted not only foreign merchants and artisans but also criminals of all kinds. However, the criminal world of medieval Lviv, which had its regional peculiarities, was characterized by hostility to unmotivated cruelty. Serious criminal crimes were rather the exception to the rule, and they were mainly committed by representatives of the nobility and outsiders. The most common offenses were fraud, counterfeiting coins and various goods, gambling, hooliganism, thefts, and prostitution. The crime rate increased during periods of wars, economic crises, and political instability, which were usually accompanied by social unrest and a decline in morals. The Lviv magistrate consisted of the city council (rada or rada) and the city court (lava), which dealt mainly with criminal cases. Although the council was an administrative body, the vagueness of the legislation often led to its functions overlapping with those of the court. Members of the city council (rajcy or consuls) exercised police supervision, distributed city lands, leased city property and its profitable spheres of activity, set taxes, admitted to city rights (citizenship), and resolved disputes that did not require the involvement of witnesses. In addition, the burgomaster (burgomaster or proconsul) and rajcy fought against gambling, monitored traders to ensure they did not deceive or shortchange buyers, and prices to prevent profiteering by resellers. Rajcy did not receive money for their work, which was considered honorable, but they did not pay royal and city taxes on their real estate, were exempt from a number of duties, and received various gifts. Burgomasters had the right to independently administer justice and resolve disputes, even at their own homes, and through them, petitions and appeals were submitted to the royal chancellery.

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See also

• ▸Akechi Mitsuhide
• ▸Bay View Association
• ▸Castillo San Felipe del Morro

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